Cy Young Duel

The matchup of the night was 19 game winner Chris Carpenter facing the tragically under-supported Roger Clemens.



Carpenter earned his 20th victory of the season against only 4 losses and went the distance for a league-leading seventh time while winning his 12th straight decision. He also outlasted the seven-time Cy Young Award winner Clemens.

Carpenter has won his last 12 decisions and is 12-0 with 1.44 ERA in his last 14 starts with three shutouts and six complete games. Clemens left the game after the fifth inning because of a strained left hamstring trailing Carpenter, 2-1. Clemens gave up two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two.

The Astros, fighting for the NL Wildcard, did not lose any ground as the Phillies were beaten In the bottom of the 12th by the Nats when Preston Wilson came through with an RBI single to right field to give the Nationals the walk-off victory.

In the rest of the NL Wilcard race, the Mets blew a 4-2 lead by a seemingly idiotic decision by Mets manager Willie Randolph to bring in White Sox-reject Shingo Takatsu with the bases loaded and Miguel Cabrera at the plate. The result was a three-run double by Cabrera to seal the Marlins come-from-behind 5-4 victory, the Mets 4th loss in a row. More whingeing and moaning about the plight of the Mets to be found on Archie Bunker's Army.

*****

Yankees Avenge, 7-0 Over A's


(Steroid Boy Giambi tumbles doubling Ellis off first)

The Yankees drew even with the A's in the AL Wildcard race and gained a modicum of revenge for their humiliating 12-0 loss with a 7-0 victory of their own as Mussina-replacement Aaron Small allowed only five hits in winning his 6th game of the season against no losses.

Over the past 15 games, the Oakland starters have a 1.92 ERA, but they are 7-5 in that span thanks to the erratic offense/ Since Aug. 13, the A's have either scored four runs or fewer, or nine runs or more. Nothing in between.

The Angels lost to the Mariners when they allowed four runs in the 9th and blew it, 6-3 to keep the AL Wilcard, as well as the AL West races a draw.

In the other matchup involving wildcard hopefuls, Cleveland blunders allowed the Twins to win the game 3-2 when pitcher Bob Howry threw Nick Punto's bunt single away. Twins ace Johan Santana struck out ten and allowed only two hits over 8 innings but didn't get the victory as Joe Nathan suffered a rare blown save.

The Indians remain a game behind the Yankees, A's and Angels.

NCAA FOOTBALL

We haven't read more than a few lines all summer about this collegiate season and what we did read was effusive about USC and its triad of stars making it seem like there isn't really even a point to playing out the season.

Having said that, we've constructed our Sports Amnesia Top Ten anyway, without reviewing any of the teams, relying primarily upon the predictability of top teams every season: Miami, Florida State (who I'm secretly rooting for after they argued successfully to keep their Seminole logo and since Notre Dame are not likely to be fighting for the title this season).

Results:

1. USC (1-0) defeated Hawaii 63-17.
2. Florida State (0-0) - v Miami on Monday
3. Miami - (0-0) @Fla St on Monday
4. Florida (1-0) - defeated Wyoming 32-14.
5. Ohio State (1-0) - defeated Miami (OH) 34-14.
6. Georgia (1-0) - defeated Boise St. 48-13.
7. Texas (1-0) - defeated La.-Lafayette 60-3.
8. Michigan (1-0) - defeated Northern Illinois 33-17.
9. Notre Dame (1-0) - defeated Pitt 42-21.
10. Iowa (1-0) - defeated Ball St. 56-0

*****World Cup Qualifiers*****

England Barely Overcome Wales

(Joe Coles sort of scores the winning (and only) goal for England)

England manager Sven-Goran Erickson deployed, with or without player encouragement, a new 4-5-1 formation for the Welsh with mixed results. Missing Newcastle forward Michael Owen, England had to rely upon a Joe Cole shot bouncing off of Danny Gabbidon to help England to a 1-0 victory which Erickson points out, despite a shoddy performance from his side, is still worth three points.

England lined up like Chelsea with Beckham replacing the indominable Claude Makelele to mixed reviews and Wayne Rooney, less the long-ball lion of Drogba. Within fifteen minutes from the start, Rooney had drifted back to give England a bit of a 4-3-3 look whilst Lampard and Gerrard played as though they'd forgotten how to attack.

Were it not for a brilliant save from Robinson of a Hartson knock the Welsh might well have put Wales up 1-0.

No questions were answered in this match. England are still not looking anything remotely up to the form that people are predicting might make them co or tri-favourites for the World Cup. They looked uncertain, the defence, without Terry and Neville, was weakened - Carragher looked overmatched yet again making you wonder if he'd left his pace at Liverpool. Hardly the sort of display that gives you confidence in England's chances next summer in Germany.

*****


(Søren Larsen's stoppage-time equaliser for Denmark ended Turkey's hopes of winning 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying Group 2 - and set up a three-way race for second place between these teams and Greece.)

Turkey, in second, are two and four points ahead of Greece and Denmark respectively, but both those sides have a game in hand.

*****

The Scots quite nearly pulled off a dramatic victory over the Italians but began to sag and fatigue near the end of a brilliant performance, eventually allowing the equaliser to give them a 1-1 draw against Italy.

They will now need a dramatic performance in Norway to continue fielding any romantic notions of qualifying for the World Cup. A pity, considering how long they'd outplayed the Italians and how passionately they tried.

*****

The Americans qualified for the World Cup by defeating arch-rival Mexico, 2-0 at home.


U.S. forward Demarcus Beasley scores against Mexico

Mexico's taco-chomping coach, Ricardo Lavolpe, was not impressed by the winners.

"The U.S. is a small team," he said. "They play like my sister, my aunt and my grandmother."

Must be a tough family because regardless, they humiliated Mexico yet again.

*****

An excellent preview of the glorious Ivory Coast-Cameroon qualifying match:

The biggest match in Ivorian sporting history will, for a few hours at least, entice all Ivorians to shout with the same voice and make soldiers reach for their cameras, not their guns. "I don't want to go, though," says Ali, a 23-year-old student. "If we lose, the fans will riot. And if they win they will probably riot, too!"